


Your place

by kizaten



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Battle, M/M, ambiguos declaration, not as violent as tag suggest but anyway lets be careful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 08:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17845739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kizaten/pseuds/kizaten
Summary: It’s like the self-preservation system in Keith’s head is completely clouded and replaced by bright red capitals FIGHT in some situations. He throws himself in battles rougher than what anyone would stand.  And it scares Shiro to death.





	Your place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Encrypt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Encrypt/gifts).



> Happy valentines to my sweet giftee Encrypt (Evo, I edited this once I found out you were here in Ao3 too)  
> ♥ I have to say I loved all your options on the wishlist but felt like this would be the best for me to work in for you.  
> I really hope you enjoy your gift!!!

Leaving behind his time as a prisoner and being part of a powerful and important team to fight against tyranny is definitely a more pleasing way to face the situation his desire to explore the skies had leaded him to. Shiro keeps his fears down most of the times, he’s ready to take a stand for the team to make them find support and council when needed, but that doesn’t mean he never feels like that. Lately, there’s something else that keeps on worrying him more than he’d like to admit, specially since there’s nothing he can do against it.

Keith.

He knows he’s strong, he has seen him grow confidence and find at least a little bit of discipline through the years. And the more he sees now that they’re fighting side by side, the more his pride grows. Keith’s capable, he’s brave and he fights for what’s fair. He’s impressive, quick thinker and excellent in battle both hand to hand and piloting his Lion. He has taken a hold of all the potential Shiro was sure he had from the moment he met him.

Still, there’s one thing he can’t ignore: how willingly he takes all kind of risks.

There’s something heroic on it, Shiro knows, but it’s like the self-preservation system in Keith’s head is completely clouded and replaced by bright red capitals FIGHT in some situations. He throws himself in battles rougher than what anyone would stand.  And it scares him.

After what he saw on the Blade of Marmora he’s terrified of the extremes Keith can push himself to. That had been too much and he’s always scared one day he’s not going to make it. He really wishes for that day not to come, not even in his thoughts.

This time is one of those.

They’re supposed to be finding some pieces to make some minor repairs on the Castle of Lions, they had been going without them for a while but it needs to be in its best conditions for they plan with the Teludav Slav and the Olkari are building. A simple mission, there’s no need of more than two Lions, just two Paladins could do.

Shiro wants to stay away from Slav so he decides on going, Keith sticks along. He’s been a bit distant since he discovered his heritage and Shiro has been looking for a chance to talk to him about it, an expedition for just the two of them felt like the best opportunity he has found in days. They both needed to space from the team, it seems.

Shiro tries to reach out while they’re on their way, but Keith brushes it with monosyllables and it’s obvious he doesn’t want to talk. He doesn’t insist, it would be easy for Keith to shut the comms off and he doesn’t need that. He decides to try for a simple face to face conversation but has to desist as soon as they reach the coordinates they had as their destination.

 The planet they land in is nothing like the place Coran said it would be, it’s arid, full of devastation and it seems like they were not the only ones to be there to find some support. Just as it happened when they first found Olkarion, excepting there are no signs of life anywhere to be found.

The structures are collapsing, the ground is dry and so is the air and atmosphere. Whoever they are looking for doesn’t seem to be there anymore.

They walk trying to find anyone, with bayard in hand and staying alert even when they’re not there to be hostile. Whatever had destroyed all of that could still be there. Shiro goes ahead and Keith is watching their backs. It’s hard to see it, but it really seems to be a pointless mission.

“Maybe somewhere else, we could find different signs from above.” Keith suggests, he lowers his bayard convinced there’s nothing else there.

He might be right, they have to search in a different point of the planet. Shiro goes with his idea, going back to the Lions and change to a different point could offer a new perspective. And since they seem to be out of danger in that moment, Shiro thinks it’s a good chance to finally reach out and try to comfort him as he first intended. Keith seems to be calm, but Shiro knows he’s just masking whatever he’s thinking behind his silence to focus on what they’re doing.

He knows Keith’s not that straightforward when the issues are related to him, unlike those cases when he’s worried about Shiro. Still, it’s unusual for him to be this silent. 

“Keith” Shiro calls him, walking closer while he leads the way. “Is everything all right?”

As soon as he speaks he feels stupid. Of course it’s not, but he couldn’t find a better way to break the silence without being too fast jumping to the subject he wanted to talk about. He feels like he needs to make the chat turn before getting to the point. Keith’s been acting under a low profile lately, he doesn’t want to risk it to getting shut out too soon.

He also wants to show Keith they can still talk, that things can actually stay the same as they were.

“Yeah,” Keith replies and the shrug is also noticeable in his voice.

Even when it is the answer Shiro expected, he doesn’t like it.

He repeats it in his head and tries to find a better way to start talking, but all the options he can think of lead to the tense situation they’re into. He doesn’t want to complain, complain is never a good way to talk but he doesn’t think of anything but the stress of these last days. And he’s worried, he’s never been good on masking that. He wants to ask him if he’s been able to sleep, if he’s taking breaks, if he’s eating well… But that’s just no good.

“I tried to think on what you guys were talking about the other day, about what I’d like to do once this is over.” Shiro starts, he knows that’s still related to war but at least it sort of brightens the mood of what they’re facing. Thinking on an after makes things feel better.

“Really? What is it?” Keith asks, still looking forward but with less stiffness in his voice.

“I know Voltron probably won’t be needed as a weapon anymore, but the Lions are really incredible and I thought I could travel with the Black Lion.”

Keith makes fun of him being attached to a ship, but Shiro reminds him of the bonds they have been making with the Lions and that Keith himself constantly talks to his Lion. They keep on talking about that, their bonds, the Lions and their plans. Keith wants to travel as well and when Shiro asks him to join him – and Black, of course – he seems to get a bit nervous but answers with a shrug and a nod that slowly grows to an enthusiastic smile and a series of affirmative words and plans that reminds Shiro of the times when they started to connect years ago. 

He’s happy with how it goes, with the way Keith relaxes and starts walking by his side, how he starts to talk again and he visibly leaves the tension that has been pushing him down these days. That’s all he wanted to get, even when he hasn’t made his point about the whole issue he wanted. Keith looks better and that’s a good way to start.

He hears something.

He stops and turns around to try and find whatever is making the sound, and seems like Keith has noticed too. The chat dies and they try to find the sound again in the silence they’re into, but before they can find the source they find themselves surrounded by a group of tall cloaked figures pointing lances and swords to them. The creatures have long legs like sticks and hoofs touching the ground, their hands have long claws and their faces are covered under heavy hoods excepting a long snout that comes out of the shadow.

Both are quick to take a defensive stand, Keith has drawn his bayard ready and Shiro stays firm looking at the group that won’t leave a single spot for them to run.

“We’re here to help.” Shiro starts. “We’re Paladins of Voltron, we’re looking for-“

“We know.” One of them interrupts with growling voice, they all take a step forward making the circle Shiro and Keith are trapped into get tighter. They stand close to one another.

Before they can see it, one of them pushes the lance to them, shocking them with what feels like a fast discharge running through them. It hurts them, makes Keith drop his weapon and both crumble to their knees. The creatures stab their lances on the floor, arranging them to immobilize each one of the Paladins before them as a couple of lances stay pointed at them to discharge again if needed.

“We’ve seen what happens to the Planets Voltron tries to help.” One of them speaks and pushes Shiro’s  face up with the end of the lance it’s holding.

“So you know they’re free from the Galra and keep on living as they did before the invasion?” Keith speaks and the way he struggles with the lances that caged him reminds Shiro of what he’s been fearing all the other times.

FIGHT. FIGHT.

“Voltron is a threat!” One of them speaks louder and hits Keith with the lance.

“Keith!” Shiro can’t take back his worry as he sees Keith in pain but starting to burn with the anger he uses to fight. “We are not, we only want to help.” He repeats and the picture feels terribly familiar. Immobilized, trying to explain themselves, to stop the others from thinking of them as a threat.

Last time he was like this he ended up imprisoned and forced to fight.

He’s not up to let that happen again. Not to Keith.

“Help us from what? The Galra? They only came once and left once they thought we were dead. They better keep thinking that way, but if there’s any sign of Voltron around they’ll know the truth.”

It was clear these creatures wouldn’t just let them go, not after the way they captured them and didn’t even try to mask their aggressive behavior. Shiro and Keith couldn’t complete what leaded them to that Planet, they were trapped and outnumbered, needing to escape from their hold so they could reach the Lions and fly out of there.

“We have to find their ship, the Galra may recognize it.”

“Send the second squad to find it and destroy it, we’ll handle them now.”

It seemed like there would be no chances for this group divide, what to say about being released. Shiro tries to think on options, listening to Keith pushing and pulling and trying to move from where he was trapped and the others getting closer and threatening him only makes it worse and keps his nerves growing instead of finding the pause he needs to focus. He’s gripping the lances himself, already desperate even when he isn’t moving.

At this point he has no doubt they’d try to kill them, these creatures wouldn’t even think on letting them fight back fairly when they could just tear them apart right then and there.

Shiro knows they had completely taken any chances from Keith to free himself, he can’t move and even when he is strong, he can’t even take one of the lances out and have a bigger range of movement. Then he sees one of the creatures rising the lance and pointing it to Keith’s nape…

He couldn’t stay still, he couldn’t stand to see that and do nothing, to lose the chance of giving him at least a bit more of time, to see him die. He has never wanted Keith to be in that position, not even when it was Keith the one to throw himself into those deadly situations. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself knowing he just watched him get killed like that when he had always been a fighter. Shiro has to do something. He has to save him after all the times he had done that before.

Using his arm’s energy, Shiro breaks the lances that kept him still, and even when he still needs to break the others he managed to drag all the attention to himself and not in Keith. He screams, he kees tearing their lances and soon takes one of them to threaten the creatures and get some space so he can free Keith. It doesn’t go completely as planned, and even when he manages to stop any of them from touching Keith, they don’t stay back and come to him, hitting and trying to drill his armor pieces and getting more luck whenever they hit the places where it couldn’t cover his body. He takes it all and manages to bring down a couple of them while Keith calls for him and keeps struggling to release his arms and climb his way out and help.

The armor showing all of the damage, dirt, marks, cuts and stains of Shiro’s blood that went through the thick fabric of the bodysuit. He has taken worse things and he still can fight. He has to fight.

He takes their weapons away, shatters them and brings down a couple of them with just his hands and the pieces of the lances he can still use. Just as the champion he used to be, he fights with all he has, no mattering pain or the numbers or chances against the enemy. He only has to survive, to make sure they would survive. To protect Keith.

Shiro stays on his feet even when he’s wounded, even when he has cuts tearing his suit and his flesh is also visibly suffering, he wouldn’t surrender, and just as it did whenever he fought at the coliseum, his will was terrifying. The creatures start to escape, others hesitate more and more as they keep on trying to take him down. One against a whole group of them, unarmed. Unbeatable.

He stays near Keith all the time, and he never tries any deadly hit unless they’re clearly threatening Keith, then he doesn’t hesitate before aiming to their vital points. He pushes all of them away and stays up gasping. He’s tired and wounded after all. Shiro walks to Keith and breaks the lances as he did to free himself, he tries to verify he’s all right but it hurts and adrenaline seems to fade for a bit and he crumbles down, only one of his knees touches the ground as Keith holds him up calling for him, keeping him conscious but it’s getting harder to stay awake any longer.

Everything hurts, he’s fading but he doesn’t want to do it, he doesn’t want to leave Keith like that again. He holds on to him and claims he’s all right over and over again but his voice goes weaker and his body gets heavier as he tries to walk. Keith guides him, he can feel the pressure of his hands as he struggles to walk with him, it feels soft but he knows it isn’t, nothing’s soft, he’s just disconnecting and Keith must be using all of his strength to keep him up at that moment.

They’re moving on the direction they landed, he just knows it even when it’s getting harder to see what’s going on around them. He sees a shadow covering them, hears a familiar roar both in and out of his head and the air moving around them, pushing from above them and lifting dust as something pushes down with an incredible force.

“We’re leaving, Shiro. You’ll be fine” Keith tells him looking up.

Shiro looks up too, he looks at Keith.

“I’m just glad you’re safe.” He mumbles and it’s the last thing he remembers.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
It’s the second time he awakens inside one of the Castle’s capsules. Just as it happened before, he doesn’t really have any memories of when they put him inside and only comes back to his senses the moment he hears the buzz of the capsule opening and it’s already pushing him out to shut down. He feels dizzy and cold as soon as it releases him to stand by himself. His eyes open but it’s not easy to focus and everything feels blurred, not only what he sees but what he hears and how the space around him holds him in place as well. He stumbles forward but at least doesn’t fall down.

Keith’s keeping him up before he falls.

He’s calling his name and Shiro can only press his eyes and try to blink so he can actually see him. Still unable to find his voice, Shiro has to touch his arm to calm him, to show him he’s all right and only in need of time. He tries to stand again, not because he doesn’t want Keith’s support but because he knows he must be heavy and is not comfortable with being a burden to him. Shiro sits down in one of the steps, still being helped by Keith who then he sits beside him.

“Take your time, there’s no rush.” Keith says beside him.

Shiro sees the way he holds his hands together and the strong grip he’s pressing them with is also easy to spot. He’s tense, he can see that, and he’s sure he’s had a rough time waiting.

“How long did I stay in there?” Shiro asks, and he doesn’t need to ask to know he has been there the entire time.

“About four vargas since we came back.” He replies looking down. Shiro moves his leg and bumps Keith’s. He smiles. “The Lions took us out of there. Black flied behind us by himself… You’re right about them being attached to us but I still can’t understand why they let you do this to yourself and didn’t stop those creatures sooner.”

“Guess it wasn’t as easy for them to move and protect us as it was for me.”

“I know it wasn’t easy for you.” Keith complains. Shiro brings him closer, moving his arm to wrap his shoulders.

“But it was worth the try.”

“You got hurt…” Keith muttered, sneaking closer and resting comfortably in his hold.

“Now you know what I feel”

Keith chuckled and looked down, shaking his head before holding it with his hands. Shiro moved his hand on Keith’s shoulder and down his arm smiling as well.

“If you did this only to give me a lesson…”

“I just wanted to protect you.”

 Keith kept quiet, going still as he used to do whenever he face a serious issue. This wasn’t supposed to make him nervous, and the sudden silence made Shiro get a bit anxious too. Still, this was what he had been wanting to talk to him all this time.

“I’m always watching how you push yourself and I can’t do anything for you. I’ve been thinking that needed to change and I couldn’t wait to make that change another time. If I hadn’t done anything right then, there wouldn’t be another time.”

He speaks with conviction, he doesn’t intend for it to sound like he’s scolding Keith or complaining about his ways. He only wants to share his worries. The things they’re facing are dangerous and the chances of getting hurt are really high, there’s no need for them to try and make them higher, but he wouldn’t  stay paralyzed when he could do the difference.

“I don’t want to lose you, Keith, you’re important to me.”

Keith stands up and Shiro looks up to him, he’s about to ask if he’s all right or if what he said got him upset but he doesn’t have a chance to do anything but call his name before Keith’s kneeling before him and holding him tightly. Shiro embraces him just a blink later. He closes his eyes and lets himself be comforted in the firm hold of Keith’s arms, in the softness of his hair brushing his cheek.

“Now you know what I feel…” Keith repeats Shiro’s words and his voice sounds worried, muffled by the place he’s pressing himself to.

“I know… Me too.”

“Are we talking about the same thing?”

“I think it is… Am I wrong?”

“Don’t ask me. But… You know. Now you know.”

Shiro sighs and moves to hold him in a more natural way, comfortable for both of them. Keith never lets go and Shiro thinks it’s not only because he’s deeply moved, as his heartbeat suggests, but because he doesn’t want to be seen at the moment. He understands so he only stays like that, close as they want to be. And he knows.

He knows what he needed to know.

 

 


End file.
